This report examines perceptions about Professional Development Units (PDUs), an optional component of the REACH program, as well as the effects of participation on instructional practice and student growth.

The 2008-2009 school year marked the second year of the 4-year pilot of the AISD REACH program. The following report is the second in a series of reports documenting the progress of AISD REACH toward key program goals.

The present report documents the pilot’s influence on teachers’ job satisfaction; attachment to the teaching profession, their school, and the district; data use practices; teaching efficacy; collegial experiences; and requests for transfer.

Overall 2011 retention rates for REACH teachers were not significantly higher than that of similar non-REACH peers. However, data suggest that the intensive mentoring program is making a greater impact on novice teacher retention each year.

High-quality intensive mentoring for novice teachers is one of the most critical support elements of REACH. This report illustrates activities mentors conducted in 2009-2010, novice teacher retention results, and mentoring program ratings.

Teachers, principals, and observers had favorable attitudes toward the peer observation program in 2011-2012. Announced and unannounced observation ratings were moderately consistent, but were only slightly related to administrator ratings on PDAS.

This report addresses the extent to which assessment characteristics related to teachers’ success with SLOs in 2013-14. Student performance on preapproved and teacher-made tests did not differ, but the format of assessment was related to SLO success.